Albus Potter and the Book of Exiles
by Eentha
Summary: Nineteen years after Lord Voldemort's defeat, it's the next generation's turn for adventures of their own. Join Al, Rose and their new friends as they unlock the mysteries of Hogwarts and an evil so old, it has been buried in the sands of time.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone, this is my first fanfiction ever, so I would really, really appreciate constructive criticism when warranted. I've had this Next Generation story idea in my head for a while and I wanted to put it out there. This will take place during first year only, but I will have sequels up to seventh year and beyond. This is story will mostly feature Albus Potter, Rose Weasley and their friends. I will also feature their siblings (mostly James) and other cousins will make appearances, but they won't be focal points of the story. Sorry if this disappoints anyone, but there are seriously WAY TOO MANY WEASLEYS out there.

* Harry Potter and JK Rowling's Wizarding World belongs to her. Any characters you recognize as canon also belong to her and their publishers. I don't own anything, except my ideas and the characters I invented. Enjoy!

**Chapter One: Pocket Watches and Chocolate Frogs**

Albus Potter knew things would be different for him once he and his cousin Rose Weasley boarded the Hogwarts Express for their first year of school. He knew that he could now openly perform magic, where he didn't have to worry about attracting unwanted attention from muggles. He also knew that he would be living far from home and away from his family. Well, most of his family, anyway. There would always be his older cousins, and of course his brother. One difference that Al noticed right away, but never thought he would encounter, was how much attention he and Rose were receiving. The moment the pair would be within sight of the other children on the train, they would drop the conversations they were previously engaged in simply to stare at them. Many students openly gaped, while others whispered rapidly to their friends.

"Merlin's beard, is that Harry Potter's son?" a young girl with dark braids whispered to the stocky boy next to her.

"Looks like it," the boy said aloud, staring right at the pair. "And that's that Weasley girl."

"Another Potter, eh?" an older boy said to his friend. "Wonder what this one will be like?"

Al's cheeks flushed. He never received this much attention before, at least not directly aimed at him. People stared at his dad, simply because Harry Potter was a hero in the wizarding world. He _vanquished _the century's darkest wizard. It was only natural that people would worship him like a demigod. Al, on the other hand, felt odd knowing that people were focusing so much on him. And he wasn't sure that he liked it. Rose, however, seemed unfazed. He wasn't sure whether she was ignoring their stares, or was simply oblivious. Either way, her nonchalance impressed him.

"Here Al, I think this compartment's empty," said Rose Weasley, opening the door.

Al's head was spinning as he wandered down the busy corridor. The scarlet train was buzzing with excitement and anticipation for yet another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While Al was happy to finally be going, he desperately needed some peace and quiet so he could think. Of course, looking at all the children who were gawking at him and Rose because of their famous parents was _not _helping at all. Al tried his hardest to ignore it and instead let his father's words resonate.

_ "The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account." _

Al could not express the relief he felt when his father told him that freewill was an option in all of this. His blood nearly boiled thinking about how horribly James antagonized him over possibly being in Slytherin. Part of him knew that his older brother was jesting, but he really didn't find it funny. Slytherin was notorious for producing bad witches and wizards: Lucius Malfoy, Barty Crouch Jr., Bellatrix LeStrange—only to name a few. And of course, Lord Voldemort. He was as bad as a wizard could get! Why would Al want to sleep in the same dormitory as the most evil wizard of all time?

"Al, aren't you coming in?" Rose asked, holding an old leather-bound book in her tiny hands.

The dark-haired boy nodded his head, entering the compartment in a daze. He looked out the window just as the train was leaving London. They traveled beyond the industrious city borders, into a greener area. He placed his hand on the window, inwardly bidding his family a final farewell.

"Something's on your mind, isn't it?" Rose inquired.

Al looked across from her, his almond-shaped green eyes falling upon his astute cousin. Rose, clad in her school uniform, let her thick russet hair drape over her narrow shoulders. On her lap was a thick leather-bound book entitled _The Standard Book of Spells _by Miranda Goshawk, which she focused on but a moment ago. Her electric blue eyes ignited with curiosity and that famous Granger intellect. Freckles lightly dusted her nose and cheeks like fairy dust on her fair skin. Her once buck-toothed grin was corrected through muggle dentistry, thanks to her maternal grandparents. After two summers of painful tightening and pudding dinners, Rose finally had straight teeth. Now all she had to do was wear a muggle retainer at night. She wore black thick-rimmed glasses for reading. She drummed her fingers on her book, waiting for an answer. Nothing could get past his precocious cousin. Al was unsure if this was a blessing or a curse.

"Is it the Sorting Hat again?" she asked softly.

Al nodded his head.

"Don't worry Al, Mum told me it's advanced magic—very advanced," said Rose knowingly. "It knows what it's doing."

"But Rose, it's deciding where I'm going to live! It's going to define who I am. It's going to define who you are too!" he bellowed. "Doesn't that make you nervous?"

"Slightly," she admitted. "I don't want to disappoint my dad."

"But Mum told me that a house doesn't define a person," she added. "She said not all Slytherins were bad and all Gryffindors are good. Look at Peter Pettigrew."

Al remained skeptical, but before he could say anything more, there was a loud, obnoxious knock on the door. Al and Rose turned. On the other side of the door, James, Fred and their friend Hector Richardson began hissing at them. Al threw daggers with his eyes. Rose rolled hers.

James' brown eyes gleamed mischievously as Hector, a short twelve-year-old wizard with curly, dirty-blonde hair opened the door. All three boys entered the compartment.

"What do you want, James?" asked Rose tersely. "I'm trying to read."

"Oh, our precious Rosie-Posy is quite the little bookworm, isn't she?" James teased.

Rose scooted away from them. Fred peered down at her, looking at the book.

"Charms, Rose? You know classes don't begin until tomorrow, right?" Fred laughed.

Rose looked up at her cousin. Fred, the tallest of them, did not have as many of the characteristic Weasley traits. Dark freckles coated his olive skin arms, but were mostly absent from his face. His dark brown hair was in dreadlocks. His large brown eyes were teasing and his teeth were completely white. While he physically resembled his mother, he was notoriously mischievous—a true Weasley.

"Yeah, too bad you're more likely to crack open your skull in quidditch this season than a book the entire year," Hector said cheekily.

Fred punched his friend in the arm while James focused his attention on his younger brother, who pointedly ignored him. James ruffled Al's hair, snickering.

"Stop it, James!" Al growled, facing the window.

"Oh, lighten up, Alby," said James. "You know we're just teasing, right? Come on, we're family. It's our job."

"It's not funny," Al grumbled.

"Are you still on that Slytherin rubbish?" said James. "Look, don't get your knickers in a twist. Slytherins are bad. You're not bad, so you won't be in Slytherin. Stick with us, Alby. We'll take care of you."

Al seemed to consider this for a moment. "Alright."

"So you'll quit worrying, then?" asked James.

"For now," he said softly. He wasn't confident he could keep that promise.

James patted Al on the shoulder warmly. "Good," he replied. He looked over at his friends. Hector seemed to be having an animated conversation with Rose about Hogwarts classes, while Fred was clearly wishing he were somewhere else. Hector's heavy-lidded hazel eyes glinted with gold flecks as he vigorously spoke.

"My favorite subject is Charms. I think you'll really enjoy it," he told her. "James claims it's for nancies, but he's just jealous that I'm better than him."

Rose giggled. "Would you mind tutoring me, then, in case I'm not very good?"

"With brains like yours, you'll likely be tutoring me in a few years," Hector laughed. "But sure, I can help you if you need it."

Fred, standing impatiently, rolled his eyes. "Oi, can we go? I could really use some sweets."

"Yeah, let's find the trolley," said James. "Hector, leave our cousin alone."

Hector sighed. "Yes, Master," he said sarcastically. He turned to Albus. "Al, it was good seeing you again." He turned to Rose, grinning. "Rose, good luck in classes."

"You too," she smiled.

With one more shove from James, they left Al and Rose alone. Once the door was closed, Rose returned to her book, muttering. "Hector seems alright."

"He came to the house this summer," said Al. "I like him."

At that moment, there was another knock on the door. This one was far gentler, less intrusive.

"Hello?" said the voice. "I was wondering if someone could help me?"

The source of the meek voice opened the door cautiously, revealing a small, wiry boy with wavy, light brown hair, large blue-green eyes, medium-toned skin and a slightly hooked nose. His square jaw boasted a dopey, lopsided grin. He blushed deeply, shifting his feet.

"What's up, mate?" Al asked.

"I, umm, lost something," said the shy boy. "I was wondering if, if someone had seen it?"

"What is it you're looking for?" Rose asked, flipping the page down on her book.

"I'm looking for my dad's pocket watch," he said in a thick Scottish accent. "It's very old. It's been in the family for generations. Have you seen it? It's made of real gold with an iron chain. "

Al and Rose both shook their heads apologetically.

"Sorry, we've been in here the whole time," said Rose.

"But we can help you look," Al offered.

The boy seemed visibly relieved by this kind gesture. "Would you? Thank you so much," said the boy, holding out his hand. "Name's Craig. Craig McDonald."

Al got up and shook the boy's hand. "I'm Albus Potter, but you can call me Al. And this is my cousin, Rose Weasley."

"Potter? Weasley?" said Craig slowly. "I think I've heard those names, but I'm not sure where. Are your parents politicians or something?"

Both children held back grins. _Finally someone who didn't know who they were!_

"No, they're not politicians. Are you muggle-born, by chance?" asked Rose innocently.

"Born and raised," said Craig. "I don' know if any of my family were magic folk. My parents died when I was young."

"I'm so sorry, Craig," said Rose empathetically.

"What happened to them?" asked Al, regretting it the moment the words left his mouth. Craig seemed to ignore this blunder with a shrug.

"Killed in a plane crash," said Craig. "You know what airplanes are, right?"

They both nodded. "Our grandfather is fascinated with all things muggle," said Al.

"And my mum was muggle-born," Rose added. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's alright," said Craig sincerely. "I just don' like to fly, you know? But that watch is all I have left of ye dad, and I can't lose it."

"We'll help you," said Al and Rose in unison.

They dropped their belongings onto their benches and left the compartment. The corridors were considerably less crowded than they were when they first boarded the train, but everywhere they turned, people were once again ogling Al and Rose, whispering among their friends. Clearly, having famous parents made you famous by proxy, Albus decided. He concluded he didn't like that. Were people really going to compare him to his celebrity-war-hero father for the rest of his school days? They haven't even started yet!

After minutes of unsuccessfully crawling on the floor, none of the three children had any luck finding the watch. Rose quickly became frustrated while Craig grew progressively more apprehensive with each passing second. Al seemed to be the only one remaining calm.

"This is getting us nowhere!" said Rose crossly. "Are you sure you didn't lose it at the station?"

"Positive," said Craig, "I saw it in my bag on the train, then a few minutes later, it was gone. I really hope we find it."

"Where was your compartment?" asked Al.

"Just a couple down," said Craig, pointing down the hall. "Ah, there it is, that one right there."

When they got there, they noticed it was already occupied by three girls, most likely first years. Two of them were giggling while one was just politely listening. Rose knocked on the door as to not disturb them.

"Come in," said one of the giggling girls.

Rose, Al and Craig entered while the girls looked at them curiously.

"Hi, I'm Rose. This is my cousin Al and our friend Craig. We're searching for something and we think it might have gone missing in here," said Rose.

"It's a gold pocket watch," said Craig. "Do you think any of you may have seen it?"

They shook their heads uncertainly.

"What's a pocket watch?" asked a pale girl with straight brown hair.

"It's a muggle device that tells time. It looks a lot like a time turner," said Al. "Have you seen it?"

"I don't think so," said a dark-skinned girl with long, straight black hair and large brown eyes. "But you can look around. Maybe it's under the seats?"

"I looked before, but I didn't see it," said Craig.

"It never hurts to double check," said the third girl with thick curly honey-blonde hair.

They all got down on their hands and knees, searching low. Craig and two of the girls were searching the seat cushions while the rest of them were searching under the seats. A moment later, the blonde haired girl squealed, "I found it, I think."

They all gathered around her, looking under the seat. Craig was visibly relieved.

"Oh, thank you," he said. "Thank you so much, that's my pocket watch."

He started to reach for it, but the seat trapped his hand at the knuckle. The space was too narrow for him to fit his hand through. Rose, noticing this, offered her smaller hand. Hers, too, was too large to fit. They all frowned.

"Hmm, how are we going to get it out?" asked Craig.

"We could rip the seat out?" the dark-haired girl suggested.

The other girls glared at her. The dark-haired girl muttered an apology. At that moment, Rose's eyes gleamed brilliantly.

"I've got it!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't I think of this before?"

"Think of what?" Al asked, raising his brows.

Before he received an answer, however, she ran back to their compartment. Al and Craig followed her baffled. The other three girls remained in their compartment. Rose starting rummaging feverishly through her bag, throwing out two textbooks, a muggle camera in its case, and her retainer case before clutching a mahogany box. She opened the box, pulling out a 10 ½ inch oak wand with a unicorn hair core. She beamed, holding the wand in her hands.

"We're magic," said Rose. "It's only logical we use magic to retrieve it. Al, can you hand me _The Standard Book of Spells_?"

Craig handed her the book before Al had the chance. Al started playing with the camera and its case absentmindedly while Rose was reading the pages. Once she found the page, she looked triumphant.

"Found it," she said, pointing at the page. "_Accio_ _Pocket watch. _That's the spell we need to get it out. Come on!"

Quickly, the boys grabbed Al and Rose's trunks, knowing it was unlikely they were going to return to that compartment. Once they made it back, the three girls were still trying to pry their hands under the seat.

"Move over," said Rose, pointing her wand under the seat.

She got down on her hands and knees while the other children observed the sharp witch. She concentrated deeply on the task at hand, knowing that this spell may be tricky for her. It was, after all, meant for fourth years.

"_Accio pocket watch!" _she said firmly.

Much to her chagrin, nothing happened. The others looked at each other uncertainly. Rose gave a light chuckle to alleviate some of her embarrassment.

"Hmm, guess it's a little stubborn," said Rose. "Let's try that again. _Accio pocket watch._"

Rose was stumped. The watch didn't even so much as giggle once she cast the spell. The brown-haired pale girl lost her patience as she pulled out her walnut wand.

"Let me try," she said assertively. "_Accio pocket watch._"

Still, there was nothing. "That's strange," said the girl. "It doesn't seem to be working for me either. I've done this spell before on a drinking cup."

"Maybe it doesn't work on muggle things," the blonde-haired girl suggested.

"It works on muggle items, so that's not the problem," said Rose absolutely. "Maybe we just need an older wizard to cast the spell."

"Maybe one of the prefects can do it?" asked Craig.

"Our cousin Victoire might be able to help us," said Rose. "She's Head Girl."

Al, who had remained silent this whole time, looked down at his hands, realizing he was still holding Rose's camera. He lifted up the flap, only to have it snap down again instantly. Suddenly an idea flashed before him.

"Craig, what did you say the watch was made of again?" asked Al, looking at the camera case.

"It's gold, but it has an iron chain," said Craig, "I lost the original chain a few years ago."

"Brilliant," said Al ecstatically, throwing the camera onto the seat. The others were very confused as he hopped onto the floor.

"Al, what in Merlin's name are you doing?" asked Rose. "And why did you just throw my camera like that?"

He was ignoring her as he held the case under the seat as far as his hands could reach. The chain gravitated toward the magnet in the camera case, allowing Al's fingers to lace into the chain. With a slight jerk, Al freed the pocket watch from its dark crevice. The others were speechless as Al stood up with the watch in his hands.

"How did you do that?" asked the brown-haired girl. "What are you holding?"

"It's a magnet," said Craig, smiling broadly. "Clever solution, Al!"

"Thanks," said Al, looking at the intricate design of the pocket watch. On each side of the crest, two armored knights sat on mounted unicorns. The knight on the left side held a chalice whilst the knight on the right wielded a sword into the air. In the center of the crest was a young maiden with flowing robes and wild hair, standing ankle deep in a river. Her hands were open and soft flames appeared on her perfectly carved palms. Her eyes boasted tiny emeralds. Arched above the crest itself, he noticed that there was writing on the watch. He furrowed his brows as he read, realizing it was in an unfamiliar language.

_Le cheile I neart, le cheile I toil, faoi cheangal ag a fuil, scarifice muid _

Al was impressed with the intricacy of the crest. He had never seen anything quite like it before.

"That's a brilliant design, Craig. Is it a family crest?" said Al, tracing fingers around the maiden's beguiling eyes.

"Of sorts," Craig replied, taking the watch back. "It's been in the family for hundreds of years, apparently."

"Do you know what the writing says?" asked Al. "I couldn't really make it out."

Craig shrugged. "I'm not sure what it means, to be honest. It's Gaelic, that's all I know."

"Well, it just goes to show magic isn't always required to solve a problem," said the dark-haired girl. She held out her hand warmly to Craig. "I'm Cleomora Thomas, but call me that and you'll never live to tell the tale."

"So, is Cleo fine, then?" asked Craig, laughing. She nodded her head. "I'm Craig McDonald, I'm muggle-born and proud of it. This is Al Potter and Rose Weasley."

"Potter?" Cleo gawked. "You mean, you're _Harry Potter's _son?"

Al nodded his head uncertainly. Cleo started squealing in delight, hopping up and down. "Oh Merlin! Merlin, merlin, merlin, merlin . . . Ahh!"

Al and Rose shuffled their feet awkwardly. It was one thing for people to be whispering whilst staring at them. That was a reaction the cousins could possibly learn to live with, but this was beyond over the top. The green-eyed boy coughed dryly. Once Cleo calmed down a bit, she fanned herself.

"Wow, I'm so sorry about," said Cleo, blushing deeply. "I solemnly swear it will never happen again."

Craig laughed. "You act as if you've just met _The Beatles._"

The honey-haired girl laughed while no one else seemed to get the reference. The other four raised their brows at her.

"I'm muggle-born too," said the girl. She held her hand up. "I'm Holly Hill and this is Tanith . . . umm. You never told me your last name."

"If there's another Tanith, I'll tell you what it is," she told them nonchalantly. "It's incredibly difficult to say."

Tanith shook everyone's hand, not allowing anyone to give much thought to the girl's reluctance on providing her surname. "It's nice to meet you all, Al. That was very clever what you did with that, uh, muggle thing. I never would have thought of it myself."

Even while she tried to play it cool, Al could see sorrow resonate in her dark alder eyes, but he was not sure why. He did not, however, want to dwell on this until he had a chance to talk to her later.

"Not many magical people know what a magnet is," said Al. "You're probably pure blood, aren't you?"

Tanith nodded her head. Once they were done introducing themselves, the sound of the trolley cart passing by caused the children's ears to perk.

"Trolley cart!" said an old, squat witch. "Anything from the trolley?"

"What's on the trolley?" asked Holly. "Do you have any Mars Bars?"

"I'm afraid not," said the trolley witch sweetly. "But I do have all the wizard sweets you can eat: Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, cauldron cakes, chocolate frogs, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, jelly slugs, liquorice wands, and pumpkin pasties. Take your pick."

The children's eyes were gleaming as they examined the plethora of delectable, bright-colored treats all on the red trolley. Everything just looked so wonderful, Al thought, it would be nearly impossible to choose what he wanted to try first.

"I'll take six of everything for my friends," said Craig, interrupting Al's thoughts.

The others were all shocked by this. "What? Craig, no, that's too much," said Rose.

"You really don't have to do that," said Cleo.

"No," he insisted. "I want to. All of you helped me find my pocket watch. I can never replace it if it were gone forever. Buying you sweets is the least I can do to thank you."

"Are you sure?" asked Holly. "This can't be cheap."

Craig shrugged. "It's no bother at all. Go on, help yourselves."

"Thank you Craig," said Al, as he was grabbing a handful of licorice wands.

In turn, everyone else thanked the Scottish boy. He smiled at his new friends. The trolley witch looked at him when everyone was done grabbing sweets.

"That will be seventy sickles," said the trolley witch.

Craig gave the trolley witch an entire purse of coins, telling her to keep the change. The squat witch blushed, realizing this was well over one-hundred sickles in there. Before she left, Craig asked, "So, what's your favorite treat on the trolley?"

"Pumpkin pasties," said the trolley witch. "They're my mum's secret recipe."

"I'll try that first then," said Craig, taking a bite. He was taken aback by how wonderful they were. "Mmmm, these are brilliant. This is the best pasty I've ever had. Thank you, ma'am."

"My pleasure, dear," said the witch, grinning lightly.

Once the trolley rolled away, Holly and Cleo were giggling as they were sampling the different jellybean flavors. Holly, having apparently eaten an awful flavor, started gagging while Cleo laughed at the girl. Tanith was sitting next to Al, gracefully biting down on a cauldron cake. Rose put her camera back in her leather satchel before eating one of her jelly slugs. At that moment, she took her wand out of the wooden box, examining it carefully. Craig sat down next to her before taking another bite of his pasty.

"I don't understand it," she said disappointedly. "Why didn't _accio _work on your watch?"

"Don't worry about it," Craig assured her. "We haven't even started our classes yet. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"But I've been working on magic all summer!" she stated exasperatedly. "I don't get it."

"Rose, it's okay," said Tanith. "I've done _accio _before and it didn't work for me either. It's a spell meant for forth years."

Rose shook her head. A strand of hair caught in her eye, which Craig moved away with his finger. She thanked him.

"Cheer up, we'll be at Hogwarts soon," said Craig. "And then I'm sure you'll beat the trousers off us in every subject."

"You think so?" asked Rose uncertainly.

"Well, I've never done magic on purpose before, so you've got me beat there," said Craig. Rose giggled at that. Craig smiled. "There, now keep that attitude until we get to Hogwarts, alright?"

She nodded in agreement. The two of them started discussing some of the different houses at Hogwarts, wondering where they would be sorted. Al, meanwhile, opened one his chocolate frogs. As it started hopping away, Tanith caught the bounding treat, giving it back to Al. He began eating the chocolate as his focus shifted toward the card in his box. On the card was a picture of a thin, black-robbed man with sallow skin and a large hooked nose. He had shoulder-length greasy black hair and dark eyes, reminding Al of a cave's dark abyss. He flipped the card over and read the contents on the back.

_Severus Snape_

_1960-1998_

_Former Headmaster_

_Former Potions/Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor_

_Former Member of the Order of the Phoenix_

_Former Death Eater_

_Sorted into Slytherin during his time at Hogwarts, Severus Snape was an exceptional student, particularly in the subjects of Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. He received a N.E.W.T in those subjects, as well as Transfiguration and Charms. During the First Wizarding War, he was a loyal Death Eater, but became Albus Dumbledore's agent after Lord Voldemort murdered Lily Potter and attempted to murder Harry Potter. He was an accomplished potioneer, occlumens, legilimens, spell creator, and duelist. _

"_He was one of the bravest men I've ever known. Without him, I don't think my defeat against Lord Voldemort would have been possible." – Harry Potter_

Al read the card over five times, his eyes growing larger with each word he read. It became more apparent now why Al's father chose him as well as Dumbledore as Al's namesake. He _really _was an exceptionally brave man.

_But he was sorted into Slytherin_, Al considered.

He mused at the chocolate frog for moments, finally deciding that maybe being sorted into Slytherin wouldn't be such a horrible fate after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hi, first of all, I'd like to apologize for how long this took me to post. I'm sorry! I think I rewrote this chapter six times cause no matter what I did, I didn't like how it turned out. I do like this better, though. Alright, enjoy. **

**Yeah . . . Harry Potter isn't mine, I think everyone should know that by now. **

Chapter Two: Death Spawn

In a dark, desolate compartment on the Hogwarts Express, one boy sat alone with black, leather-bound copy of _Hairy Snout, Human Heart _on his lap. He could hear all of the celebratory cheers and joyous laughter on the other side of the door, but he would not share in the same joy the other kids had about coming to Hogwarts. He would not join them as they were discussing which house they would be sorted into or what subjects they think they'll enjoy. Eleven-year-olds are supposed to be wide-eyed, innocent, and full of joy. Scorpius wasn't like most eleven-year-olds. He was hardened, distant, and cynical of those around him. He did not know what it meant to trust a stranger, or at least he'd forgotten how years ago. His jaded pewter eyes were filled with unsentimental wisdom rarely found in someone so young. Sometimes he even forgot his age. If it weren't for the fact he was coming to Hogwarts for the first time, he would have never remembered he was kid at all. He could relate to the werewolf in the story better than he could to most wizards and witches, let alone ones his age.

No, Scorpius Malfoy wasn't like any of the other children on the train. Ever since he was young, he knew that he was different. More specifically, he knew that his family was different. He closed his eyes, remembering the day he realized he wasn't like everyone else.

_It was very hot and sunny_ _the weekend his family decided to go to London. Scorpius' parents showed him and his sisters many of the amazing sights the big city had to offer, both magical and muggle: London Eye, the Globe Theatre, Big Ben, the Le Faye Theatre, the Magical History Museum, and of course, Diagon Alley. _

_The first time he saw Diagon Alley, Scorpius beamed. The old cobble stone street had a vast array of shops, selling everything from broomsticks and golden snitches to owls and cauldrons. There was so much of everything! Scorpius could spend days in there and still find something new to explore. They went everywhere: book shops, broom shops, even the joke shop. His father bought him a green aviatomobile while he bought his younger sister Cassiopeia a pygmy puff for her fifth birthday. Lyra, his three-year-old sister, was too young for anything in the shop, but his parents bought her a plush kneazle from a street vendor. In any case, all of the children were entertained by the friendly boy who worked there. He kept changing his hair many different colors and gave himself different animal noses. Even Scorpius was amused when his hair erupted into glowing blue flames. _

_But it was really hot and all of the kids wanted ice cream. _

"_Daddy, can we please get some ice cream?" asked Cassi, tugging on his sleeve. _

"_It's really hot, Daddy, please?" asked Scorpius. _

"_Pretty please, with fairy dust on top?" asked Lyra, who was still holding her mother's hand. _

_Draco softened at his youngest daughter, picking her up. She giggled zealously as her dad spun her around. He planted a big kiss on her cheek. Draco looked at his daughter with soft gray eyes, matching her glittering green eyes she inherited from her mother. _

"_You want ice cream?" he asked. Lyra nodded her head vigorously. "Does everyone want ice cream?" All of the kids were cheering at the aspect of ice cream. His wife grinned at her husband. He set Lyra down and all of the kids were running as fast as they could for Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream __Parlour__. _

"_I'm surprised that place is still in business," said Draco. "Did someone else buy it after?"_

"_I believe his nephew runs it now," said Astoria, knowing he did not want to finish the question. "Do you still need to run to Twilfitt and Tatting's for those dress robes?"_

"_Yes, for Pansy's wedding," said Draco, "This is, what? Her fourth wedding?"_

"_No idea," said Astoria, shaking her head. "Do you really have to go to this one?"_

"_You know I do," said Draco. "Corvus will need me." _

_Astoria nodded her head. Scorpius came up to his parents, tugging on his mom's blouse. _

"_Come on mum, dad, we want some ice cream," said Scorpius impatiently. _

"_I'll be right there," said Astoria, "Go ahead and have a flavor ready." _

_Scorpius ran back to the shop, where his sisters were waiting. Draco handed Astoria a purse full of sickles. "Save me a cone?"_

"_Mint chocolate chip?" asked Astoria. Draco nodded. He gave his wife a quick peck on the lips before leaving them. _

_The kids ran into the shop. When the bell at the door rang, the man behind the counter perked up. "Hello children, what can I get you today?" asked the middle-aged man with graying auburn hair. _

_Cassi seemed to ponder for a moment. "I don't know, what do you got?" _

_The man chuckled. "Every flavor you can possibly think of."_

"_Even chocolate marshmallow strawberry swirl with rainbow sprinkles?" she asked effervescently. _

_The ice cream wizard laughed jovially. "I can certainly whip that up for you."_

"_Yay!" Cassi cheered, grabbing Lyra's hands. _

_The two girls hopped up and down. Scorpius seemed to consider for a moment what he wanted when his mum walked through the door. The man's cheerful expression melted away faster than his ice cream possibly could, seeing Astoria Malfoy. _

"_Oh," he whispered grimly. "You're Malfoys." He cleared his throat. "Sorry Ma'am, shop's closed. Please take your kids and get out." _

_The four of them looked at the ice cream wizard, perplexed. _

"_But your sign says you're open for another two hours," said Astoria astutely._

_The man started closing the ice cream displays, wiping everything off with great force. He frowned at the slender, dark-haired witch. _

"_We're closing up early tonight," he told her. _

_The children stood agape at the man's unwarranted frigid treatment. _

"_But, but—I thought you were going to make me chocolate marshmallow strawberry swirl with rainbow sprinkles," said Cassi sadly."But it's my birthday today." _

"_No ice cream?" asked Lyra. _

"_Shop's closed," he said nastily. _

_Once it finally hit the kids what was happening, all of them began to cry hysterically, particularly the girls. Scorpius hugged his sisters, even though tears were rolling down his pale face as well. How could such a kind man be so mean to them? What did the kids do wrong to deserve such a foul punishment? _

"_Why?" asked Scorpius. "What did we do?"_

_Astoria, knowing exactly what was going on, snapped. The sparks in her emerald eyes ignited with the intensity of a hellish inferno. _

"_I see what you're doing here, Fortescue," she snarled. "And how dare you take out past pettiness on innocent young children who have done nothing wrong! You should be ashamed of yourself!"_

_The shopkeeper seemed unimpressed. "Innocent? Those brats were bouncing all over the place but a minute ago."_

"_Oh, my children are brats for being excited over ice cream while anyone else's kids with a similar reaction would get a smile? Am I misunderstanding you, sir? Are you saying that my kids don't deserve to be excited for ice cream?" _

"_They can in a different establishment," said Fortescue, moving to put the closed sign on the door. "This shop is closed."_

_Astoria's blood boiled from this man's passive aggressive attitude. She rolled the left sleeve of her blouse up, revealing her bare arm to the shopkeeper. _

"_Here," she retorted. "Do you see a Dark Mark on my arm? No? Of course you don't, I never had one! And even if it did, it wouldn't be there anymore. The Dark Mark died with the Dark Lord. I know your uncle was killed by Death Eaters, and I'm so sorry for that, but please, enough of this bigoted foolishness. It's hot outside and these kids have been patiently waiting for some ice cream. And it's my older daughter's birthday today. Forget about my husband for a moment and just remember that they're hungry young children. So will you please just give them some ice cream?"_

_For a moment, the children perked up, hoping that maybe they would get ice cream after all. That hope was quickly dashed when the man swiftly opened the door. _

_Fortescue sneered. "You take your filthy _death spawn _and get out of my parlor!" _

_Scorpius' eyes grew. He didn't know what a death spawn was, but whatever it was, it certainly didn't sound nice. It had the word _death _in it! The girls began to wail even harder than before. Scorpius was horrified by this man's callousness. Was it true? Was he really a monster who didn't deserve anything nice? What about his sisters? Were they monsters too? _

_Astoria remained still for a moment. The ice cream wizard, though clearly obstinate, was slightly nervous when her hand hovered over her wand. She shook her head, summoning her devastated children. _

"_Come on children," said Astoria softly. "It's time to go." _

_Her heart shattered into thousands of shards as her three children began to weep, especially when she looked at Cassi—it was the girl's fifth birthday, for Merlin's sake! _

_A moment later, their father met them on Diagon Alley, holding a sophisticated black dress robe. The smile on his face seeing his children quickly wiped away the moment he realized they were crying. He threw his dress robe to ground as his daughters came running into his arms (wrinkles and dirt be damned). They buried their tiny faces into their father's shoulders. He stroked Cassi's black hair and Lyra's blonde hair tenderly. _

"_Oh girls, what's the matter?" asked Draco. When they didn't answer him right away, Draco bit his lip. "Girls, what happened?" He looked up at his son, who was clenched in his mother's arms. "Scorpius, can you tell Daddy what happened?" _

"_He wouldn't give us ice cream, Daddy," Scorpius said weakly. "He—he called us . . ."_

"_Death spawn," said Astoria gravely. "He called them death spawn." _

_Draco released his daughters for a moment, clenched his fists. His face twisted into something so fearful, even XXXXX classification from the Ministry of Magic would have been a generous rating. Scorpius had never seen his father so angry before. _

"_He called them _what?_" he whispered dangerously. _

"_Death spawn," said Scorpius. "What's a death spawn, Daddy?" _

_Draco whipped out his wand before answering, "Something I hope you never have to hear again." _

"_Draco, wait," said Astoria, grabbing his arm. _

_Astoria's pleas went unnoticed, however, as Draco flew into the ice cream parlour with guns blazing. The young boy couldn't hear the heated exchange between the ice cream wizard and his father since the door was closed, but the next thing he knew, a purple jet of light flashed from his father's wand and the ice cream man was instantly morphed into a large farm pig. Fortecue, in his new state, panicked and began running all around the shop, destroying everything in his path. Draco left the store, chuckling to himself. Astoria tried to hide a grin herself. The two adults then looked down at their confused, still hurt children. _

"_I'll talk to Scorpius and you can talk to the girls," said Draco. "They clearly need to know."_

"_Know what?" asked Scorpius. "What's going on? Why did you turn that man into a pig?"_

_Draco scratched the back of his neck before looking down to his son. Scorpius stared up at his father with bewildered gray eyes. Draco knelt down so that he was eye level. _

"_Daddy, why was that ice cream wizard so mean to us?" asked Scorpius dejectedly. "He called us brats and death spawn." _

_Draco sighed deeply, squeezing Scorpius' shoulder. "Scorpius, there's something you need to know. I was hoping I could wait until you were older, but clearly that isn't an option anymore." _

_Scorpius blinked at his father, who was unrolling his left sleeve. Draco showed his son his arm, which revealed a long, deep scar. The young boy was baffled. _

"_Do you see this scar, Scorp?" asked Draco. "Before you were born, this used to be a Dark Mark. Death Eaters, such as your grandfather and I, had these Dark Marks on our arms because we served Lord Voldemort."_

"_You mean the bad man who murdered a lot of people?" asked Scorpius. _

"_Yeah," Draco chuckled feebly. "But I did some pretty terrible things myself when I served him. I hurt a lot of people and I have to live with that for the rest of my life."_

"_What did you do that was so bad, Daddy?" asked Scorpius. _

_Draco cast his eyes onto the cobble stone. "I'll tell you when you're older, but for now, we'll just say I was a very bad man once." Draco looked up at his son once more. "But even though I suffer for my actions, many people out there feel like it's not enough. So they're going to want to hurt you and your sisters. Son, death spawn is an awful, foul thing to call someone. It's a derogatory way to call someone the child or grandchild of a Death Eater. It's" _

_Draco choked on his words for a moment, not wanting to reveal how awful of a slur it really is. _

"_It's a wizard's way of wishing you were never born," said Draco, "because they want me to die."_

_Scorpius was overwhelmed with sorrow the moment his father's words left his mouth. _

"_You mean, they want me to die?" asked Scorpius despondently. "But, why? What did I do wrong?"_

"_It's nothing you did," said Draco. "You are a wonderful, bright boy that any father would be proud to have. The world is just filled with ugliness sometimes, especially if you or your family made some bad choices. _

"_You're going to face some very difficult challenges. As you get older, the world will be less kind to you because you're a Malfoy. But don't you ever accept that you're inferior. Don't listen to them because they want you to fail. They want you fall so far down you can never get up again, but if you fall, pick yourself back up and keep pushing forward. You can anything, Scorp. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, do you understand me?" _

_Scorpius nodded his head. Draco took his son into his arms. "I'm so sorry this happened, Scorpius," said Draco sincerely._

"_I love you, Daddy," said Scorpius, still clinging to his father. _

"_I love you too, Scorpius," said Draco. _

_He scooped his son in his arms after picking up his dress robes and other shopping paraphernalia. He approached his wife and daughters. _

"_Come on, let's go to the Leaky Cauldron," said Draco. "I'm sure Mrs. Longbottom will have some tasty Cauldron Cakes waiting for us." _

_The girls seemed pleased with this idea. Cassi's Pygmy Puff chirped as they all walked away. _

He was only seven years old when this happened, but even now, he remembered it like it only occurred hours ago. Scorpius wished this was the only time he and his family suffered such hateful prejudice, but it only seemed to get worse as the boy got older. More and more people grew cold in his presence, especially once they saw his parents. Parents would refuse to allow their kids to play with him, telling them that Scorpius was a bad boy and they shouldn't talk to him. Because of this, Scorpius never played with many kids his age. The only friend he ever had was Tanith. As granddaughters of a Death Eater, Tanith and her younger sister Titania were scorned nearly as often as Scorpius and his family. It was an unfair existence no child should be forced to endure, but who said life was fair, anyway?

There was a knock on Scorpius' compartment door. He looked up, realizing it was Tanith on the other side of the door. He got up from his seat and opened the compartment.

"Tanith, where have you been?" asked Scorpius. "I've been waiting for you."

She held up a handful of sweets. "Jelly Slugs?" she offered.

"Has the food trolley come?" asked Scorpius.

"It's on its way down here," said Tanith, "But between Craig and those obnoxious boys harassing her right now, she might need to restock before getting here. It could be a while."

Scorpius scrunched his face. "Terrific," he said sarcastically. She came into the compartment and sat across from the platinum blonde boy. He set his book aside for a moment, looking at her. "So where have you been, aside from getting sweets obviously?" he asked her.

"I was waiting in a compartment for you, but then a couple of giggling girls came in, asking if they could enter my compartment," said Tanith, taking a bite out of a jelly slug's head. "I didn't want to be rude, so I let them come in. We eventually started talking, they seemed nice enough. But then three others came in, two boys and a girl, looking for this muggle thing. A pocket watch, I believe?"

Scorpius shrugged. "I don't know what that is."

"Neither did I," Tanith admitted. "Muggles use it to tell time, apparently."

"Oh," he said, dumbfounded. "Strange."

"So then we started looking for it and Holly found it under the seat."

"Holly?" Scorpius asked. "Who's Holly?"

"My new friend," said Tanith. "She's really nice. Silly, but nice."

"Alright," said Scorpius skeptically.

"So then Al took this magnet to get the watch, since magic wasn't working for Rose or me," Tanith continued with the story, smiling. "And Craig, the one who owned the watch, bought us all sweets to thank us. It was fun."

Scorpius cocked his head. "Who are they, now?"

"Oh, well. Holly's last name is Hill. She's muggle-born and her parents own a pub near York's city wall. I forgot what it was called. And then there's Cleo Thomas, she's a half blood. Craig McDonald's the one who owned the pocket watch. He's muggle-born too. He seems very nice."

"Because he bought you sweets," said Scorpius pointedly.

Tanith stuck her tongue out. "That's not the only reason he's nice."Scorpius shook his head. Tanith ignored him and continued. "And Rose Weasley, she seems very clever. She's a bit tough on herself, though."

"Weasley?" asked Scorpius. "You were talking to a Weasley?"

"Yeah, and then there's her cousin Al Potter," said Tanith. "I really like him. He's brilliant."

Scorpius' mouth gaped. "Albus Potter? You mean, you met Harry Potter's son?"

"Yeah," said Tanith. "I think you'd like him, Scorpius. He's alright. Come back to the compartment with me, I'll introduce you to everyone."

Scorpius bit his lip. "Tanith, do they know who you are?"

"Well," she said sheepishly. "I didn't tell them my last name."

"That's _why _they were being nice to you!" Scorpius stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "They don't know who you're related to. Once they figure that out, it's over. That's how it always goes. You should know that by now!"

"But Scorp," said Tanith, clearly hurt, "they all seem so nice. Do you really think they would do that?"

"I hope not," said Scorpius, "but I want you to be prepared for when they do. I don't want to see you get hurt again. You're the only friend I have."

"They won't hurt me, Scorp," said Tanith. "I know they won't."

"For your sake, I hope not," he said softly.

From outside the compartment, they heard three voices.

"So what do you wanna do now that we've got our sweets, James?" asked one of the boys. Clearly he was already chewing on something.

"We should find a compartment and camp," said the boy named James. "I'm getting frosting all over my hands."

"You can't eat without making a mess anyway," the other boy snickered.

"Shut it, Fred," said James. "Here, this compartment seems empty."

He pulled the doors open, all three of the older boys ignored the fact Scorpius and Tanith were sitting right there. Fred took Scorpius' bags and threw them on the ground.

"Hey, that's my stuff!" Scorpius snarled at the older boy.

"Oh," said Fred, shrugging. "I needed a spot."

"What's your problem?" asked Tanith, annoyed by their presence.

"My problem?" Fred laughed. "I don't have a problem. But clearly your knickers are in a bunch, Miss Prissy."

"You seem familiar," said James, eyeing up Scorpius. "Platinum blonde hair, pale skin, and you're dressed like a nancy. Ah, I get it. You're a Malfoy, aren't you?"

"And if I am?" said Scorpius defiantly.

James rubbed his sticky hands all over Scorpius' shirt haughtily. Scorpius glowered at the bully. "You prat! Why would you do that?" he asked heatedly.

James shrugged. "Because you're scum and you don't belong here."

"How _dare _you!" Tanith cried, running at the older boy.

Fred grabbed her by her collar, giving her whiplash.

"Calm down, Ms. Prissy," Fred taunted. Tanith struggled under his grasp.

James pinned Scorpius against the glass, piercing his elbows into Scorpius' ribcage. As hard as Scorpius tried to squirm his way out, James put more pressure on his ribcage. He could feel it bruising through his shirt and it hurt like hell. "Let go of me," he growled.

James ultimately ignored Scorpius' angry protests, his brown eyes flashed dangerously at the younger boy. "You listen and you listen good, death spawn. You made a big mistake coming to this school. We don't welcome your kind here."

While Tanith bit her lip nervously, Scorpius rolled his eyes. It's not as if this were the first time anyone threatened him because of who he was. "Kind of goes against the late Dumbledore's ideology, don't you think? Didn't your saint of a father worship him like a god or something?"

The mentioning of Albus Dumbledore struck a nerve with the eldest Potter son who slammed Scorpius even harder into the glass.

"You mention Dumbledore one more time and I'll hex you into oblivion" said James.

Hector, glaring at the helpless boy, grabbed Scorpius' bags and dumped all of his possessions on the floor. The blonde boy's eyes darkened. Hector started tossing around anything he deemed as _rubbish_, all the while Fred was amused by the death spawn's ire. "Aww, does the _whittle death spawn_ not like that?" Fred sneered, while Hector continued throwing his books everywhere. Scorpius gritted his teeth with every passing second that they relentlessly harassed them. He kept feverishly squirming out of James' grasp, but the Potter boy was much stronger than he looked, and he was relatively stocky to begin with.

"Apparently your parents never taught you manners," Scorpius remarked sardonically.

Hector disregarded the boy's cheek as he spilt ink on Scorpius' Herbology textbook. "Oops, did I do that? How clumsy of me."

"Just stop, please," said Tanith, dejectedly. "We've done nothing to you."

"Make us," said James smugly.

Tanith whipped out her wand, but before she could perform a spell, Fred snatched it from her. Tanith jumped up, trying to get it back. The girl's fury manifested with each failed attempt to retrieve it from the much taller boy.

"Give it back, you stupid git," she barked.

Fred laughed. "Once it's snapped it half, maybe."

He held the wand over his head, ready to break it. Before he could, however, the door snapped open. On the other side were three boys clad in their school uniforms.

One of the boys, a wiry boy with stringy sandy brown hair, a pale, freckled face and deep-set brown eyes, pointed his wand at Fred. "_Expelliamus." _

Before he could react, Tanith's wand flew from Fred's hands, into one of the seats. The boy who performed the charm sneered at the Gryffindor trio.

"Potter, Weasley," he said coolly. "I should have known you would be in here. And it appears you have your mudblood lapdog as well."

James rolled his eyes. "What the bloody hell do you want, LeStrange? Can't you see this is none of your business?"

"You would do best to stick your filthy spawn nose out of this," Fred threatened.

Another boy approached them precariously. He was the tallest of the three, with slicked back shoulder-length black hair, light gray eyes, and a hard, pointed face. Scorpius could tell the boy was a Slytherin because of the green and silver tie he was wearing, as well as the venomous glare he threw at the three Gryffindors. "For a _brave _Gryffindor, you certainly seem to have a taste for bullying for those weaker than you. I thought your type were too self-righteous for such a thing."

"Like you don't do the same," said Hector.

"At least we own up to it," the dark-haired Slytherin retorted. "At least we don't pretend we're something special because of who we're related to. It's not as if Harry Potter was such a talented wizard anyway."

James lunged at the boy wrathfully while Hector restrained him. "You do _not _talk about my father like that, you worthless bastard! You are the worst kind of _death spawn. _Your father didn't even want you!"

Scorpius looked at the Slytherin, who seemed visibly stung by the low blow. Realization was hitting the blonde boy as he was recognizing who he was.

It couldn't be, Scorpius thought.

The dark-haired Slytherin whipped out his wand. " _Domittinasus Piscis._"

An electric blue jet of light flashed from the boy's wand, hitting James in the face. Seconds later, James' face contorted and he expelled a small, salty fish from his nose. Tanith and Scorpius scrunched their faces in disgust while the three Slytherin boys laughed. Fred and Hector grabbed James, who was trying to catch the sardines in his hands, and dragged him out of the compartment.

"This isn't over, Parkinson," said Fred scornfully.

Once the Gryffindor boys were gone, the third boy—a burly, dimwitted boy with a buzz cut—kicked the fish out. Scorpius looked up at the three older boys then back to Tanith, whose eyes were fixed onto the ground. "Tanith," he whispered. "Are you okay?"

"So, that's what Potters are like, then?" she asked despondently.

"All Potters and Weasleys," said LeStrange. "You can't trust them. The names Aris LeStrange."

Scorpius shook the boy's hand cautiously. "Are you related to Bellatrix LeStrange?"

"Distantly," said Aris. "She was my great aunt. Same as you, I believe."

Scorpius nodded his head. He looked up at the burly boy, who muttered, "Garon Goyle."

"And I'm Corvus Parkinson," said the dark-haired boy, holding out his hand to the blonde boy.

Scorpius was taken aback for a moment before finally muttering, "So, you must be my brother, I take it?"

**Author's Note: And . . . cliffhanger. But not to worry, I'm working on Chapter Three as we speak and it really shouldn't take as long as this one did. Reviews are appreciated, but not required. **

**So, everyone excited for Deathly Hallows Part Two? **

.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thank you everyone who has reviewed/favorited this story so far. I really appreciate it. This story is a little more background information on the crazy, messed up lives of the Malfoy family. It may seem like filler, but it's actually pretty important. The next chapter, we'll be back to Hogwarts. **

**I'm not JK Rowling. If I were, I wouldn't literally be a broke, starving writer. Well, not the broke and starving part, anyway. **

Chapter Three: Blood on the Walls

On an unusually warm September night, Draco Malfoy was sitting alone in a booth at The Basilisk Inn, a pub that opened in Knockturn Alley shortly after the war, cradling a pint of the pub's signature Black Venom Ale in his hands. As he stared into the beer's froth, he allowed his mind to wander.

Draco Malfoy has made many mistakes in his life. He has done many horrible things in his life that would make even a harden man's blood boil, both as a Death Eater and after the Second Wizarding War. Even when he was young, he always tried to manipulate those around him. It took him many years of incarceration, crippling flashbacks, and emotional healing for him to finally get to a point where he was no longer completely disgusted with himself when he looked in the mirror. Yet, it was the day that he lost custody of his eldest son Corvus that Draco truly understood that he had to change. It was that day that he realized that it wasn't enough to feel guilty for his actions in the past—that good intentions simply weren't enough. The whole world saw him for what he was, or at least for what he used to be, and that was a cold, ruthless Death Eater. It angered Draco that this was all the world saw when they looked at him, and he knew that if he was ever given another chance to make things right, if he was awarded any infinitesimal opportunity at all, he would take any tiny seed of hope and plant the largest damned tree he could with it.

Astoria Greengrass was one of the single greatest blessings in Draco's life. When they met up again years later, shortly after Draco lost Corvus, she risked everything by taking a chance on him. He was not exactly sure why she did so, even after all these years, but he is grateful each and every moment of his life that she did. He wasn't sure where he would be if not for her. Thanks to her, he received a second chance. He had another son and two daughters, with whom he fell in love with the moment they were born. Every single day that he was with his family, every moment he was there to see his children accomplish something new, he was proud. And he was so thankful that he received that second chance.

When he and his family took Scorpius to King's Cross today, he knew that Scorpius would have difficulty because of who Draco was. It was a vastly different experience from what he had when he went to Hogwarts, but he knew his son. He knew Scorpius was capable of amazing things. He wasn't worried. He raised Scorpius, Cassi and Lyra to be much better than he was. And when he saw Scorpius off, he knew he couldn't be more proud.

Draco had nearly everything he wanted in his life, but now he wanted to have another chance with his eldest son Corvus. And he hoped that someday soon, Pansy would give him that chance once again. He drummed his fingers on the table, waiting for her to arrive. Astoria was back at the manor with their daughters and his mother, knowing that Draco needed to do this alone. One of the greatest things about Astoria was that Draco didn't need to explain himself with her. He was never one to talk about his agendas and he was grateful that Astoria let him do what he needed to do. Pansy, on the other hand, was always good at trying his patience. She was running late, which was not a habit she developed until things ended sourly between them. He knew she did this on purpose to annoy him, but he knew that she would show up. Her pride wouldn't let her not show up. She always wanted a reason to flaunt her successes, or more accurately, her latest conquests at him.

_Some things never change . . . _

"Draco," said a familiar feminine voice, throwing the man from his thoughts.

Draco's gray eyes rose from his mug as Pansy Parkinson stood before him, crossing her arms rigidly. As Pansy got older, the hardened features on her face, including her sharp cheekbones and chin, only became more pronounced. Crows feet creased into her cold brown eyes and her thin lips pressed together tightly. She furrowed her thin brows at her former flame, ready to deliver a ceremonious death from one thousand cuts, not that she would ever resort to such an _archaic_ muggle practice. She snorted through her nose when he did not immediately respond. Draco gestured to her.

"Pansy," he said solemnly. "Please sit down."

Her piercing gaze did not leave Draco's for a moment as she hesitantly slid into the booth. She pulled her wand from her pocket and set it on the table. Draco did not bother to conceal his surprise at the submissive move.

"You seem shocked," she said coolly. "Did you expect me to hex you into a ferret?"

"You wouldn't be the first to do so," he muttered under his breath.

Pansy raised her brow at him. For a moment, an uncomfortable silence lingered between them, only to be interrupted by the buxom barmaid.

"What would you like, pet?" she addressed Pansy.

Pansy shrugged. "Whatever you have on special in this filthy pub."

The barmaid, an auburn-haired woman in her mid-twenties, could do nothing more than roll her eyes at the witch's horrid attitude. Draco nodded apologetically to the barmaid.

"Two Black Venom Ales would be fine, thank you Ms. Harebell." He shot Pansy a nasty look when Ms. Harebell was back at the bar. "What are you trying to do, make sure I can never show my face here again? This is my bloody favorite pub!"

"Why would you want to be here, anyway?" asked Pansy. "This place is dirty and dreary." She held her head up haughtily. "Oh right, it's because you're banned practically everywhere else. This is the only place that will serve you now."

Draco clenched his jaw. "What's the matter, Pansy? Not enough decrepit old wizards for you to sniff around for? Quite frankly, I'm surprised you haven't married a goblin yet, they're loaded with gold."

"What the hell do you want, Malfoy?" she asked him. "You're the one that wanted me to come to this crap hole in the first place."

Before Draco could answer, Ms. Harebell set two pints of dark ale onto the table, along with a loaf of warm wheat bread and fresh butter. Draco thanked the barmaid.

"So how's Scorpy doing, Draco?" asked Ms. Harebell. "He's off to Hogwarts now, right?"

"Of course," said Draco proudly. "He's very excited to finally be going."

"He's such a clever boy, I'm sure he'll shine," said Ms. Harebell warmly. "Anyway, send him my love in your next owl, alright? I've got a cinnamon cauldron cake with his name on it next time he comes to visit."

"Thank you, Ms. Harebell," said Draco. Pansy rolled her eyes.

"Has Draco ever told you he has another son? One he never sees?" said Pansy rancorously.

"You mean Corvus?" asked Ms. Harebell. "Wonderful lad from what I heard. Very bright. Clearly he takes after his father." Pansy's eyes narrowed at the not-so-subtle dig. The barmaid brushed away her auburn fringe from her dark blue eyes. "So what can I get you both to eat? Our meat pies are really nice."

"I'm not hungry," said Pansy coolly.

"Oh come on, Pansy, try something," said Draco stubbornly. "If you actually tried their meat pies, I think you'd like them."

The dark-haired girl sighed. "Fine," she said, looking up to Ms. Harebell. "I'll have a Sheppard's Pie."

"Make that two, please," said Draco.

"Coming right up," said Ms. Harebell as she rushed to the kitchens.

Pansy scrunched her nose as she took a sip of her ale. "Augh, what foul piss water is this?"

"Black Venom Ale," said Draco, chugging is pint. "Greatest pint in London. If you don't like it, I can get you some mead instead. I remember how much you enjoy that."

"I don't _want _mead or anything else, Draco," said Pansy impatiently. "Just tell me what the hell you want!"

"Let Corvus stay with my family this Christmas," said Draco.

Pansy's nostrils flared. "When hell freezes over," she said nastily.

"What the fuck is your problem, Pansy?" asked Draco angrily. "You and I both know you're going to force him to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas again anyway. You've done it every year so far he's been attending!"

"Well Draco, you know that my husband and I go to France for the holidays. Corvus chooses not to come with us," said Pansy. "It's not our fault."

Heat rose up in Draco's collar as he tried fruitlessly not to lose his temper. "That's because he doesn't feel like you want him around! How _daft_ can you be? You've been married, what? Six times now? He wants nothing to do with your husbands!"

"And how would you know how he feels?" asked Pansy. "You only see him once a year."

"Oh believe me, I'd see him every damned day if you and your solicitor wouldn't have fucked me over," Draco snarled. "But he tells me plenty in his owls. You can't stop him from writing me. And if you actually gave me a chance, I could be a damn good father for him. He would always be my first priority."

"So, you think you're so damn perfect, Draco?" she retorted. "You were a _death eater_, for Merlin's sake! You went to Azkaban after the war!"

"Rubbish! You and I both know that that doesn't bother you. You were actually impressed with me at the time," said Draco smugly. Pansy rolled her eyes, trying her best to deny it, but Draco wouldn't let her off that easily. "No, you're just knackered that I didn't want to marry a gold digging whore like you, and that's why you continue to dangle Corvus in front of me. You may not have let my other children meet him, but now that Scorpius is at Hogwarts, there's nothing you can do to stop them from knowing one another."

"Don't push me, Draco," said Pansy. "I can make sure that you never see my son again."

Draco's shoulders tensed while Pansy's dark eyes gleamed sinisterly. He was treading on very dangerous ground and he knew it. Pansy really was a nasty enough bitch to remain true to her word. Considering the hell she already put him through over the years, he wasn't sure how much more he could take. If only he had custody of Corvus . . .

Ms. Harebell broke the lingering silence between them by placing their meat pies in front of them. "Be careful, Love. It's hot," she warned them. "Would you two care for anything else?"

They both shook their heads. Ms. Harebell hurried away to refill more pints for a nearby booth. Pansy cleared her throat. "Yes, well, I think it would be best if you and Corvus did not remain in contact for a while. If you do not push me further, Draco, I may consider letting him stay with you for the holidays."

These conditions did not, in any way, satisfy the former death eater, but it was the best he could hope for—at least for now. Wordlessly, they both ate their Sheppard's Pies. Thankfully, Pansy did not complain over the quality of the pies. Draco assumed that Pansy actually liked them, but he could scarcely ever get her to admit it. She only ever admitted to liking anything when she was trying to impress a man and in such situations, only Draco ever knew when she was being sincere. He probably knew her better than anyone else ever has.

When they were finished with their dinner, Draco paid the tab. As usual, he gave Ms. Harebell a very generous tip. In this case, he would have felt guilty if he didn't. Pansy looked to Draco once more.

"You should probably run home," said Pansy, back to her usual haughtiness. "I'm sure your anorexic wife is probably waiting for you."

Draco brushed off the pathetic stab at Astoria. He knew she was only jealous of her. "She knows where I am. I'll send her your regards."

Pansy rolled her brown eyes emphatically. Draco tightened his lips, not wanting her to leave on an entirely angry note. "Pansy, umm, I wanted to thank you for coming out tonight."

Pansy was slightly taken aback. Never in her life had Draco ever sincerely thanked her for anything. Was he actually trying to be . . . nice? No, it couldn't be . . . She quickly shook off her surprise by frowning at him. "Can't say the feeling was mutual."

He could feel that response coming from a kilometer away, but he wouldn't let it bring him down. "Would you like me to take you out for tea sometime?"

"Wouldn't your wife be angry about that?" asked Pansy tersely.

Draco shook his head. "Not at all. Astoria and I trust each other with our lives."

Before Pansy could answer him, they heard a bloodcurdling scream coming from the alley. The two wizards looked around, perplexed. Draco raised his wand. "What was that?"

"Clearly our cue to leave, Draco," said Pansy. When she realized he was moving toward the source of the noise, she began to protest. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing? Let the aurors handle it."

He was gone by the time she got her words out. Reluctantly she followed her ex-flame into the dark alley with her wand raised, swearing under her breath. When she finally caught up to Draco, she found him kneeling next to the body of a young girl, probably around fourteen or fifteen years of age, with mousy brown hair and a heart-shaped face. Her icy, pale skin was caked in blood. She grimaced, realizing that this clearly wasn't a murder performed by magical means. If it were, it was clearly a spell more brutal than Snape's Sectumsempra.

"Muggles," she growled, "are so disgusting."

Draco looked up curiously at her. Did Pansy actually show compassion for a muggle?

"I mean, if they can't use magic, to kill her" said Pansy, "at least poison the nasty little tramp. I can't stand the sight of blood!"

"So much for that," Draco muttered. He bent down, placing his hand on her neck. No pulse, just as he suspected. Her body was cold, much to cold for having just died. She'd been gone for a while. So where did the scream come from? He looked around the alley, realizing that an even younger girl was crouched behind a dumpster. The brown-haired little girl cradled her legs into her chest, tears were flowing down her dirty cheeks. Her pale pink jumper was caked in dirt and dried blood. Her chest was rapidly reverberating. Draco, wiping the teenaged girl's blood into a handkerchief he kept on him at all times. This girl could have been a muggle, the last thing he needed was to perform magic on the poor thing. "Hello," he said softly. She scooted closer to the dingy dumpster. Draco continued to cautiously approach her. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you."

"Deorai," she whispered.

"What did you say?" he asked her.

Pansy sighed impatiently. "Draco, let's go! Let the muggles find her. This is pointless."

"Shut it, Pansy!" said Draco. He turned back to the little girl. "Deorai? Is that your name?"

She shook her head. "Is that her name?" he asked her, more uncertainly.

She shook her head and pointed to the wall behind him, muttering "Deorai" repeatedly. Draco turned around where, to his horror, he found the word Deorai written in large letters on the wall, unmistakeably with the teenaged girl's blood. Draco's throat tightened as he looked back at the little girl, who was trembling. When he looked at her, he couldn't help but see his youngest daughter Lyra. She gently stroked her dirty, matted hair.

"It's okay," said Draco. Her sorrowful blue eyes pierced into Draco's. gray eyes. "What's your name?"

"Velia, Sir," said the little girl. "My name's Velia Harper."

"Velia," said Draco, "That's a pretty name. My name's Draco, like a dragon. Do you have a mum and dad, Velia?"

She shook her head. Draco was afraid of that. He looked over at the deceased teenager, drenched in her own blood, wincing. "Was that your sister?"

Velia nodded her head. "Kailey."

"Do you know what happened?" he asked slowly. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her more, but he really needed some answers.

"The bad ones got her," she whispered.

Draco's throat tightened around his collar. "The bad ones? Who were the bad ones, Velia? Did you see their faces?"

"No faces," said the girl. "Just hoods.."

"Did they float?" asked Draco.

"No," said Velia. "No floating. Just knives. Knives and hoods."

"Velia," said Draco. "We're going to get some help, okay?" He looked over his shoulder, realizing that Pansy was no longer there. Somehow he knew she wouldn't stick around. In all the years Draco knew her, he could not think of one instance where she was selfless kind to another human being, let alone to a muggle child. He got up, realizing he probably had to go find the police or whatever muggles called them. Velia gripped his hand suddenly.

"Please don't leave me, Dragon Man," she cried.

Draco felt a large pit growing in his innards looking at the poor girl. She was all alone, it would be wrong for him to leave her now. Lightning struck in the distance. A storm was about to come through. He lifted his wand from his pocket, releasing a flare into the sky. He knew she may be a muggle, but he had no choice. He couldn't leave her alone and he had to get help before the rain started. Velia stared up in awe.

"You're magic, Dragon Man?" she asked him. "Are you a wizard?"

He was taken aback by the question. "You know what I am?"

"My mum was a witch," said Velia. "They took Kailey's wand."

_Well, at least I don't have to hide that from her anymore. _

At that moment, a group of aurors, including Harry Potter and Ron Weasley came to the scene, wands ready. The five aurors looked around and up at the wall in horror.

"What the bloody hell is this?" asked Ron. He looked over to Draco, glaring. "What the hell did you do?"

"I found her like this, Weasley," said Draco gruffly.

Ron raised his wand pointing it toward Draco's throat. "I'm sure you did, Malfoy. Choose your next words wisely, Malfoy, or they may be your last."

At that moment, a large hand gripped at Ron's arm. They both looked over to find Harry Potter focusing his almond-shaped green eyes at Ron dangerously. He clenched his jaw. "Step down, Ron."

"Oh come on, Harry," said Ron. "You know he did this. He's got her blood on his hands and clothes."

Draco furrowed his brow, trying his hardest not to lose his temper. Harry, however, quickly defused the situation. "Put that wand away or you will be suspended, understood?"

Ron held his wand out for a moment, looking from his nemesis to his brother-in-law. He reluctantly lowered his wand, swearing under his breath. Harry looked over at Draco, asking him what happened. Draco told him everything that occurred, from hearing the screams to the blood on the walls, even about Velia's relationship with the victim. Harry listened intently to everything. When he was done, Harry looked over at the wall, which still had the word "Deorai" written on it. Harry pointed his wand at his temple, where a silvery stream of light came out, traveling into his wand. He then took out a small glass vile, where the light flowed into it.

"Thank you, Draco," said Harry. "I'll have a look at this over at the Ministry. You can go home now, but I may need to contact you again for further questioning tomorrow. Is that alright?"

"Of course," said Draco. "Thanks Potter, I mean Harry." He scooped up the frightened girl into his arms. "Since she has nowhere to go, would it be alright if I took her for the night?"

"Yeah," said Harry numbly. "Just bring her down to the Ministry tomorrow, alright?"

Draco nodded. When they were done questioning him, thick rain drops began to splatter onto the ground. Before he knew it, the blood was beginning to wash away from Kayleigh's body, onto the ground, and the letters on the wall were beginning to blur. But even as the rain was washing the blood on the wall away, he knew that this alley would still hold the secrets of Kayleigh's murder. Velia was dripping wet and shivering in Draco's arms. He brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes.

"Come on Velia," said Draco. "I'll take you home."

**Yeah, can't say I really like writing about Pansy, but she is, sadly, somewhat important to the story. And things just got a little grittier up in here. **

**Reviews are like donations. They're not mandatory, but they're greatly appreciated. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Here we are, back at Hogwarts. Last chapter was a little intense, so we're going to take a little break from that, at least for now. So now, we're back at Hogwarts with Al and his friends. This is a much longer chapter, but I'm happy with it. **

**I'm broke. Therefore, I'm not JK Rowling. **

Chapter Four: Trust me, I'm the Sorting Hat

As the sun was beginning to set, Albus stirred from his nap, which he started shortly after Craig bought them sweets. He woke up to see that Holly and Cleo were still asleep while Rose was reading and Craig was looking through an old photo album. He looked around, realizing that Tanith was no longer there. He looked up at Craig, asking, "Craig, do you know what happened to Tanith?"

Craig set the album on his lap for the moment. "I don't know, shortly after you fell asleep, she told me that she was going to look for someone. She hasn't come back since."

Albus scrunched his face, perplexed. "Well, I think the train will stop soon. Do you think that maybe we should try to find her?"

"I'm sure she'll be back soon," said Craig nonchalantly. "But maybe we should go retrieve our pets first, don't you think?"

Rose set down her book, turning to the boys. "They're not pets. They're magical familiars in the Wizarding World. Pet is such a muggle term."

Craig nodded sheepishly, mumbling his apologies. Albus, however, was not impressed with Rose's behavior. "Do you really have to be such a know-it-all? Craig wasn't raised in the Wizarding World. How was he supposed to know?"

"I was just correcting him," said Rose.

"You don't have to be so rude about it," Al muttered. He looked back at Craig and decided it would be best to ignore his cousin. "Should we wake Cleo and Holly up?"

"Sure thing," said Craig, tapping Holly's shoulder. "Holly, we're almost there."

She opened her groggy blue eyes slowly, trying to register where she was. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw some of the wands on the seat. She calmed down in a moment once she remembered where she was. "Sorry, I'm still trying to get used to being magic."

"I can understand that," said Craig. "I still think it's strange that I'm a wizard."

Al had just as interesting of a time waking Cleo up. When he tapped her arm, she swatted at him with her hand. "Go away, mum," she grumbled. "I'm sleeping."

"It's me, Albus," said Al. "Albus Potter."

"Potter?" she whispered. Her eyes snapped open. "Oh Al, sorry about that, I thought you were my mum."

"You too are very heavy sleepers for being on a train," Rose observed.

"I'm just exhausted," said Holly. "That was the first time I've slept in a couple of days. I've been too excited."

They were all in agreement for their excitement at the upcoming year. At that moment, they decided to go into the Compartment of Magical Familiars, where their animals were waiting. Albus found his familiar first, a large barn owl named Hermes, hooting at him happily. Other students were filing in and out, grabbing their own familiars. Since neither Holly nor Cleo brought a pet, they gathered around Rose and her cat, a black, hairy beast with large snowshoe paws and white whiskers. The creature's green eyes glowed. Even though Al didn't particularly care for Rose's familiar, he acknowledged that it was a fairly intelligent animal. The three girls cooed at the creature.

"What a beautiful cat," said Cleo, petting its cheeks, which it seemed to enjoy. "What's his name?"

"Her name is Lethe," said Rose. "My Aunt Ginny bought her for my tenth birthday. She's part kneazle and I love her. Isn't she lovely?"

"She's alright," said Craig, holding a leash in his hand. "But wait until you see my girl."

At that moment, they noticed a large, slender collie with a long, thick coat and sable markings. Al started petting the dog, noticing a black mole near her brown eyes. The dog barked happily. Al couldn't help but be slightly jealous that Craig had a dog. If his sister weren't so afraid of dogs, maybe he would try to convince his parents to let him have one.

"You're not allowed to bring dogs to Hogwarts," Rose stated.

Craig looked at her, confused. "But Professor McGonagall said I could bring her. She said Caireen was my familiar. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, not at all," said Al. "Don't listen to Rose. Despite what she thinks, she doesn't know everything." Rose gritted her teeth at the jab. Al ignored her. "Professor McGonagall is Headmistress, if she said you can bring her, then you can bring her. Don't worry about it."

This seemed to assure Craig, who gave his dog a piece of ham as a treat. At that moment, Tanith and Scorpius came into the compartment to retrieve their familiars. Albus waved to Tanith, who reluctantly nodded at him.

"Hi Tanith," said Al. "I was wondering where you went off to." He looked over to Scorpius, who was throwing daggers at them. "Who's your friend?"

"Scorpius Malfoy," said Scorpius tensely. He held out his hand. Rose and the others, with the exception of Al, looked at the blonde-haired boy cautiously. Al shook his hand firmly.

"It's nice to meet you Scorpius, I'm," said Al.

"Albus Potter, right?" said Scorpius. "You don't need an introduction. Anyone who reads the _Daily Prophet_ knows who you and your family are. You're the son of Saint Potter."

Rose's ears turned pink. "How dare you talk to Al like that!"

Scorpius grinned smugly at her. "And you're Rose Weasley, right? Surprised I know that? Don't be, you're nearly as famous as the Potters themselves." He looked over at the rest of them curiously. "So, you must be Tanith's new friends."

"Scorpius, stop," Tanith whispered. "Let's just get our familiars."

"Give me a second," said Scorpius. "Let's see, Craig McDonald, Holly Hill, and . . . Cleo Thomas, yes?" They nodded their heads uncertainly. "You're very smart, aligning yourselves with them. There aren't real royals in the wizarding world, but the Potters and Weasleys are as close as you can get. They run this world, you know."

Rose started charging at him before Al held her back. "How dare you judge us based on our families! You don't know us!"

Scorpius shrugged. "Well, now you have a taste of what Tanith and I go through every day. People have judged us based on our families our entire lives." Steam was coming through her ears. "And if you're going to give me a lecture on how unfair that is, spare me."

Tanith, who apparently ducked into the compartment during the exchange, emerged with a caged ferret and a large glass tank, containing a four-foot ball python. Scorpius grabbed his ferret, never taking his intense gray eyes from Rose the entire time. At that moment, the train came to a complete halt.

"Later," said Scorpius icily. He turned to his friend, signaling her. The two exited, leaving the other five children, particularly Al, confused.

_What did he mean when he said that he and Tanith were judged every day? _

Al, however, had little time to linger on that thought. For one thing, other students were running into him, trying to grab their animals from the compartment. Also, his new friends were leaving without him.

"Come on, Al," said Rose. "We need to get to the boats."

"Right," he muttered, grabbing his owl's cage.

He followed his cousin and his friends out the train. They did not worry about their trunks, for the Hogwarts staff would send them to their dormitories, apparently. At least that's what Hagrid told them when they all met for lunch in Diagon Alley the day before. At that moment, Al's mind wandered back to the Sorting. Looking at his own friends, he wondered what houses they would be sorted into. Would they all be sorted into the same house, or would they be separated? The latter option seemed the most likely to Al. It seemed impossible that all five of them would end up in the same house-or six if he wanted to count Tanith. Did Tanith still count? Did she still want to be friends with them? Her friend Scorpius certainly decided he wanted nothing to do with them. Would she follow him instead? It was very likely Scorpius would end up in Slytherin. He was a Malfoy, after all. Where else would he go? But then Al realized that that was an unfair assumption to make. After all, people expected that he would, without a doubt, be sorted into Gryffindor. And before the train ride, he agreed with that assumption. But then he ate that blasted chocolate frog with the Snape card. Ever since, he toyed with the idea of Sytherin. But then again, he was the one who figured out how to get Craig's pocket watch back. He was capable of problem solving, even without magic. This was rare in the Wizarding World. Maybe the hat would think he belonged in Ravenclaw? Of course, he couldn't dismiss Hufflepuff either. It didn't exactly have the greatest reputation, but Teddy was sorted into Hufflepuff and he said it was the best house at Hogwarts. The common room was cozy and centrally located near the kitchens. Al, like his Uncle Ron, absolutely loved food and could eat seven helpings, if his mum let him. Being near the kitchens wouldn't be so bad either.

"Alby," said a perky, effervescent voice throwing him from his thoughts.

Before he could reply, Al's cousin Roxanne Weasley threw him into a rib-crushing dragon hug. Roxy, as she was better known as, was a very cheery eleven-year old girl with the brightest smile Al had ever seen. Like her mother, she had a flawless tawny complexion and bright brown eyes. She was stocky like Uncle Fred, but she had very little fat on her body. Her straight black hair was in a fun, playful pony tail and her nails were painted hot pink. Even though she was already wearing her school uniform, Al could see colorful bracelets on her wrist. She beamed.

"How was the train ride? Wasn't it so much fun meeting other students?" she asked him happily. She gripped his shoulders. "Rose was kind enough to introduce me to some of your new mates. Now, let me introduce you to some of mine."

Normally, Al was able to keep up with her never-faltering energy just fine. In fact, whenever there was a family gathering, Al, Rose and Roxy formed their own special trio. But with so much on his mind, he was struggling to manage.

"Al, this is Regina Vane-McLaggan and Harmony Kingston. Regina, Harmony, these are my cousins Albus Potter and Rose Weasley," said Roxy. "Sorry I didn't find you and Rose sooner, but when we met on the train, we just kept talking and we lost track of time."

Al waved awkwardly at the two girls. Normally Al wasn't too shy around girls, but the way both of them were looking at him, he felt a little self-conscious. Regina, a dark-haired girl with medium skin and a tall frame, seemed to have an impish gleam in her dark green eyes when she looked at him. Harmony, a small, auburn-haired girl, giggled.

"Hi Albus," said Regina, inching closer to him. "Excited to be at Hogwarts? I know I am."

Al stepped back slightly, heavily blushing. This girl was incredibly pushy and it was making him really uncomfortable. Rose, noticing this, subtly stepped in between them.

"Yes, we're all very excited to be here," said Rose. "What house do you hope to be sorted into?"

Regina seemed unfazed by the brush off. "Oh, Gryffindor, of course. Both of my parents were in it and they said none of the other houses are worth my time. I mean, no other house in Hogwarts has the most Quidditch championships or has so many admirable heroes. If Gryffindor was good enough for _The Harry Potter_, then it's certainly good enough for me."

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Scorpius and Tanith walking by, both of whom scoffed at Regina's words. Al shifted his feet, almost wanting to laugh along with them. Even he found this self-centered girl ridiculous.

"So what about you, Albus? What house do you want to be sorted into?" she asked him indicatively. "Oh wait, why would I ask you such a silly question? _Of course _you and your cousins will be in Gryffindor along with us. Potters and Weasleys have always been in Gryffindor. It's like a Wizarding Law for them to be there!"

Roxy and Harmony seemed to be the only ones amused by Regina's incessant rambling. The others seemed incredibly bored with her already. Albus looked over Regina's thick black hair, onto the lake, where Hagrid, Hogwart's loveable, oafish half-giant, was already gathering first years into the boats. He noticed Scorpius and Tanith getting into the first boat, with two spots available. Hagrid seemed to not be making eye contact with either of them as he shouted out, "Two more firs' ye'rs in the boat, please! Two more!"

Al started going down to the boat, only to be stopped by Regina.

"Hold on, Al," said Regina. "We can wait for the next boat together." He looked over at the boat as if it were filled with nasty insects. "Besides, we don't want to be riding in a boat with—_them_."

"W-why not?" asked Holly uncertainly. "What's wrong with them?"

Regina looked at her condescendingly. "Oh, you must be a muggle. Right. Well, do you see those two over there?"

"You mean Scorpius and Tanith?" asked Craig.

Regina's eyes bulged. "You know their _names_? Oh, sweetie, you really need to make smarter friend choices." She shook her head. "Anyway, those two lowlifes are what we in the Wizarding World call _death spawn_. You know, children of death eaters. And you know what death eaters are, right? They worked for You-Know-Who. They were killers who did He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's dirty work."

"Oh _honestly, _his name is Lord Voldemort!" said Rose, her patience wearing thin. "It's okay to say his name now, he's dead!"

Regina gave Rose a hand gesture. "Whatever. Anyway, they're dirty, soulless people and so are those who are related to them. Do you want some friendly advice? Stay away from them."

Holly seemed genuinely perplexed. "But, they didn't seem so bad to me. Why?"

"Just don't talk to them," said Regina harshly. "It's for your own good. You can't trust a filthy _death spawn_, not a single one. They're all evil."

"But didn't He-Who, I mean Lord Voldemort die before we were born? How could that make Scorpius and Tanith evil?" asked Holly.

"They just are," said Regina swiftly. "They were born evil."

Albus looked around to find that their boat still needed two more people in it. Al felt pity for them. Meanwhile, Holly's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Being born into the wrong family doesn't _make you evil_, you stupid cow! It's having a small mind and a black heart, along with making poor choices, that makes someone 'evil'. And punishing the next generation for what the previous generation did wrong is incredibly foolish. Don't you know anything about Nazi Germany in the 1940's?"

"Umm, what?" asked Regina. "Are you trying to throw muggle history at me?"

Holly seemed proud of this. "Doesn't matter. History is history. And those who are too stupid to learn from it will repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Clearly, I've seen what kind of person you are, Regina. Now, I'm going to catch that boat over there. Anyone care to join me?"

"Last call f'er pass'ngers!" said Hagrid with a booming voice.

Al smiled, realizing that Holly was one of the coolest girls he ever met. "I will."

Holly grinned at Al, then stuck her tongue out at the now livid Regina. She gripped her blood-red nails into Al's arm as he grabbed his owl. "If you get on that boat, then you're committing social suicide! It doesn't matter who your father is!"

"Isn't that the point?" asked Al, as he ripped Regina's hand away from him.

Al and Holly strolled happily away at Regina, who kept barking at both of them to turn around and come back. She then said nasty things about Holly and Al's reputations when this did not work. The two ignored every word she said.

"We'll see you at the castle!" Rose shouted more cheerfully.

Al chuckled. Rose probably would have joined them, if only to get away from Regina. Much to everyone's surprise, Al and Holly hopped onto the boat, with Hermes in tow. Hagrid, however, was the first to speak.

"Welcom' aboard Al," he said jovially. "Who's your friend there?"

"This is Holly Hill," said Al. "She's muggle-born."

"Pleasure teh hav' ye'h here, Holly," said Hagrid. "I'm Hagrid, Hogwart's Care for Magical Creatures an' Gamekeeper. Welcom' ter Hogwarts."

"Thanks, Hagrid," said Holly, still trying to get used to Hagrid's immense size. Scorpius stared at them suspiciously as they took off from shore.

"What are you two doing here?" asked Scorpius. "Don't you have other friends you could be riding with?"

Al shrugged. "We didn't want to ride with them."

"Roxy's friend Regina was a mean, stupid cow," said Holly. "We wanted to get away from her."

"You mean the girl who was talking your ears off?" said Tanith. For the first time since Al met her, she seemed to be smiling, even if it was somewhat wickedly.

"Yeah," said Holly. "And she had the nerve to say that no other house was _worth _her time. What does she even mean by that? A house is just a house, right?"

Scorpius raised his brow at her. "Umm, what exactly do you know about Hogwarts?"

"Well, not much, just that it's magic and that muggles can't find it," said Holly. "What else matters?"

"Nothin', if yeh wanna have a peak at it," said Hagrid. "There it is, kids."

No matter how many times his parents told him stories of Hogwarts, nothing could have prepared Al for the magnificent castle towering over them from the other side of the large, sparkling lake. Al could see hundreds of lights coming from various floors on the castle, waiting to greet them upon arrival. And millions of stars glittering above them in the night sky, he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life. Scorpius, Tanith and Holly seemed to be just as impressed with the statuesque castle.

The sound of Craig's dog barking broke the hypnosis Al was under. He looked over to see that Craig, Cleo, Rose and Roxy managed to make their way into another boat. Regina and Harmony were another boat with two boys Al didn't recognize.

"This is almost like being on top of York Minster," said Holly, in awe. "I can't believe I'm going to be learning magic here!"

"Pretty neat, huh," said Scorpius, softening up a bit. Holly nodded her head feverishly. Scorpius turned his attention back to Al. "Umm, sorry for how I acted earlier. That was, well, uncalled for."

"That's alright," said Al earnestly. "So, do you still think I'm stuck-up?"

"Not after what we saw over there," said Tanith. Al and Holly looked back at her. "Yes, we saw you."

"The verdict is still out on your cousin," said Scorpius.

Al couldn't help but chuckle. "Which one? I have nine."

"_Nine cousins!"_ Holly exclaimed. "And I thought my family was too large. I have five older brothers and two step brothers. We practically have a rugby team."

"Is rugby a muggle sport?" asked Tanith. Holly nodded her head.

"You like sports?" asked Scorpius inquisitively.

"Of course," said Holly. "Do wizards have sports?"

Al and Scorpius both beamed. Even though they came from vastly different backgrounds, they both clearly had one thing in common.

"Well, there's Quidditch, which is the greatest sport ever invented," said Al.

"What's Quidditch?" asked Holly.

As Al and Scorpius were taking turns explaining the rules of Quidditch to the highly enthusiastic muggle-born girl, Tanith couldn't help but hide their amusement. Hagrid, who initially seemed uncomfortable with Scorpius and Tanith in his boat, relaxed much more. He was actually sad that the ride came to an end.

"We're here, kids," said the half-giant. "Time to bring yeh to Professor Longbottom."

As they hopped off the boat, they prepared to grab their animals. Hagrid, however, stopped them. "Oh no, leave 'em here. New policy, I'll be takin' them to y'er dorms after the Sortin'."

The kids seemed to accept this readily. Hagrid, after all, was the Hogwarts' resident animal expert. At this time, all of the first years got off the boat. Craig, Rose, and Cleo reunited with them. They all seemed to be on Cloud Nine.

"Oh Al, can you believe how gorgeous the castle looks?" said Rose euphorically. "I mean, Mum said it was amazing, but the stories don't do it justice. Seeing it in person is something else entirely!"

Al couldn't agree more. Nearly everyone was carrying on about Hogwarts or the boat ride. The two blonde children, however, continued to discuss Quidditch.

"So there's really a ball that attacks you?" asked Holly.

"Yep, there are two of them called Bludgers," said Scorpius. "And it's the job of the two Beaters to hit them at the opposing team."

"They're all y'ers, Professor Longbottom," said Hagrid.

A fairly tall man with light brown hair and dark red robes stood before them. Al, recognizing him right away as Neville Longbottom, smiled warmly at the familiar man.

"Thank you, Hagrid," said Neville. "Now, first years, come with me, please."

All of the first years obediently followed, as they stared at all the portraits and suits of armour in the hallway. Al grinned, "Hi Uncle Nev—I mean, Professor Longbottom."

"Oh, hello Albus, did you enjoy your summer?" asked Neville cordially.

"Of course," said Al. "But I'm even more excited for school. I can't wait for Herbology. Rose and I have been reading your book for the past couple of days."

"Why, thank you, Albus," said Neville. "Tell your folks and Lily I said hi."

"I will, oh, and if James forgets, my mum sends her love," said Al.

Neville seemed to appreciate that, but he stopped the first years just off the grand hallway. "Welcome to Hogwarts, everyone. Now, before we begin our feast in the Great Hall, we will first sort every first year student into their houses. Now there are four different houses at Hogwarts: Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house is named after each of the school's founders and each house has history. The sorting not only determines where you will live for the next seven years, but the other students in your house will be ones you'll get to know very well. Some of them will even become family for you. However, this is not to say you cannot be friends with other students from other houses. In fact, it is highly encouraged that you make friends in all houses, regardless of background."

Al wondered if this was meant to be aimed at those who were "death spawn", as Regina cruelly put it, or at prejudiced individuals like her. Perhaps both? Regardless, Professor Longbottom continued.

"Now, each of you will be sorted in front of the entire school. Don't be nervous, it'll be over sooner than you think. And above else, we welcome you here. Now, let's get into the Great Hall before the"

"Come back here, you filthy scoundrel!" snarled an angry, floating white man with a silvery substance on his ghostly jacket.

Two white floating figures came into the hallway. The first one was laughing hysterically, chanting, "Whittle Bwoody Bawwon all grouchy for the wittle first years! He he he he . . ."

The two ghosts disappeared as quickly as they emerged, leaving the students confused. Professor Longbottom sighed heavily. "Don't mind them. That's Peeves the Poltergeist and the Bloody Baron. You'll see them a lot around the castle. The Bloody Baron is Slytherin's ghost and Peeves is a pain in the arse."

Some of the students seemed to giggle while others merely shrugged. Holly and Craig, although not the only muggle-born wizards, seemed curious.

"So, this place is haunted?" asked Holly, chuckling. "Feels like I never left home."

"My mum and dad both said that Peeves was a pain in the arse, as well," said Cleo. "One time, he stole my mum's hair brush during her second year."

"I don't care if he's already dead, if he steals something of mine, I'll kill him," said Tanith.

Professor Longbottom, at this time, decided to open the doors to the Great Hall, where the other students were already seated at four large wooden tables. The students looked up to the ceiling in awe, where they saw thousands of floating candles and an endless, celestial ceiling that seemed one with the night sky. Al's dad told him that this was all destroyed at the Battle of Hogwarts. It took them years to fix everything, but it was finally restored to its former glory four years ago. Al would have never known this wasn't the original, it was so stunning. The students slowly made their way to the tables, which had ornate goblets and plates made of solid gold. The professors were all seated at their own table, facing the students. At the head was an old, stern-faced woman with spectacles and dark green robes. The woman stood up and clapped her hands, quieting the chatting students.

"Attention, everyone. Attention. Thank you," said the woman. "Now, my name is Professor McGonagall, Head Mistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For those students who are new, welcome to Hogwarts. For those of you who are returning, welcome back. Now, before we begin the feast, it is tradition that we sort the first year students into their houses." She turned to Neville, who was carrying an old, tattered witch's hat. "Now, when we call your name, you will come up to the front, sit on this stool, and place the hat on your head. Once that is complete, you will be sorted into your house and you will sit at your new table." She pointed at an ordinary wooden stool, which seemed to have its own magical spotlight on it. Neville placed the hat onto the stool, when the hat, opening its mouth, began to sing.

_Everybody, gather round_

_Gather all, young and old_

_To the most wondrous tale_

_About to be told_

_Back in darker times_

_When muggles feared spells and magic_

_Times were very hard_

_Magic life was most tragic_

_Four gifted sorcerers came together_

_Away from fearful muggle eyes_

_To build an enchanted castle_

_Set as ruins in disguise_

_Students came from all around_

_Some were brave, some were clever_

_No matter their background_

_Once they received their letter_

_Courageous Gryffindor,_

_From his namesake Hollow_

_Took those with valour and nerve_

_With chivalry to follow_

_Charming Hufflepuff,_

_From the land of Wales_

_Valued hard work and fair play_

_And let those qualities prevail_

_Radiant Ravenclaw,_

_From the lands of high_

_Treasured creativity and wit_

_Letting strong minds freely fly_

_Stern Slytherin,_

_Hailing from the eastern fen_

_Desired cunning and blood so pure_

_With students who strived success to no end_

_Together they taught_

_With passion and fire_

_Every possible skill_

_A good witch or wizard required_

_While they fell apart_

_Hogwarts stills stands tall_

_And the magic still remains_

_In these wondrous, enchanted halls_

_Another year once more_

_At this school to be had_

_Now sit down and close your eyes_

_Trust me now, cause I'm the Sorting Hat_

The students clapped wildly at the song, still amazed that the hat could talk, let alone sing. Professor picked up the hand after the applause died down. "Now, let us begin the sorting." She pulled out a long scroll which, no doubt, contained all their names.

"Applebee, Benjamin."

A pudgy boy with tight, curly brown hair came to the stool first. He seemed startled when they put the hat on him. The hat at once gave a curt answer.

"Hufflepuff!"

The Hufflepuff table applauded him once he came over there. He seemed to still be in shock, but he got over that quickly, once some older students were clapping him on the shoulder.

"Berrymore, Nigel."

The hat seemed to take nearly a minute on him before deciding.

"Ravenclaw!"

Ravenclaw gave a similarly feverish applause for their newest member, who seemed quite proud of the hat's decision. Al looked over to his older brother during the time Professor McGonagall was calling other names to the front. Once Al caught James' eye, he mouthed, "Gryffindor", then winked at his younger brother. Al nodded weakly.

"Flint, Merrill."

"Slytherin!"

Before he knew it, it was Holly's turn. She strolled up to the front, confident. The tattered hat flew onto her honey-blonde head. She grinned.

_Hmm, I wonder if she'll be in Gryffindor._

"Hufflepuff!"

Despite its reputation for being mediocre, Holly seemed incredibly happy that Hufflepuff was where she was ultimately going. She rushed over to her table, where the other girls at the table seemed ecstatic to have her. Al looked at her, wishing he had even half of her confidence. He still wasn't exactly sure which house he wanted to be sorted in.

"Kingston, Harmony."

Immediately the hat shouted, "Gryffindor!"

Al was only vaguely listening to the names, but he heard Harmony's, if for any reason other than whether or not she and Regina belonged in Gryffindor or not. Apparently she did. The Gryffindor table, particularly his cousins, clapped intensely for her. Al's innards were twisted as it was getting further and further down the scroll. With each name called, he had less time to make up his mind and he was no closer to making a decision.

"Malfoy, Scorpius."

As Scorpius got up from the table, the room filled with thundering "boos" and hisses coming from nearly every direction, except from the Slytherin table and the Professors' table.

"Go home, _death spawn_!" shouted an older Hufflepuff boy.

"We don't want you here!" shouted a good-looking Gryffindor boy sitting next to his cousin Dominique.

Scorpius, despite the hostility, proudly strolled over to the stool with his head held high. McGonagall, however, was not so tolerant. She swiftly stood up and barked at the students, "All right, that is _enough_!" The students immediately hushed, looking at her like they would a Howler. "You will all show respect for every student being sorted! That is not a request!" Once a loll was cast over the room, they continued. Scorpius had his hat on for a minute. The blonde boy, Al noticed, seemed to be concerned for a moment, until the hat finally made a decision.

"Slytherin!"

Cheers erupted at the Slytherin table, while everyone seemed to glare at Scorpius as he walked past them. Scorpius seemed to ignore this to go join an older boy with shoulder-length black hair, who clapped him on the back. Al wasn't sure how Scorpius didn't let their treatment bother them. To some degree, it had to.

_But then again, he seemed used to it. _

"McDonald, Craig."

Craig, while excited, didn't seem nearly as confident as Holly or Scorpius when he went up there. He nearly tripped over his robes on the way up, which seemed slightly too long for him. He placed the hat onto his head. The hat also seemed to take a while with him, which Al found rather odd. Was Craig really so difficult to sort?

"Hufflepuff!"

"Yes!" Holly shouted, jumping up from the table.

The Hufflepuffs, naturally, seemed to show their enthusiasm as well. Why they had such a reputation, Al couldn't understand. They all seemed very nice, to him. Some of the people in the other houses, however, didn't seem so warm and inviting. This was something Al had to consider.

"Nott, Tanith."

The entire room, including Al, went silent at the moment. It didn't take long for Al to realize that Tanith, like Scorpius, was related to a death eater. If he remembered correctly, Tharius Nott was her grandfather, and Theodore Nott, a Slytherin in his father's year, was Tanith's father. It suddenly made sense why she was so aloof. She was afraid of being judged. It didn't matter to him, but Al seemed to be in the minority, as he heard some students whisper nasty things, calling her "death spawn" and "she-demon." Tanith seemed very self-conscious, not that Al blamed her. She finally made her way to the hat. In less than a second, it declared, "Slytherin!"

Responses were fairly similar for Tanith as they were for Scorpius. She sat down next to Scorpius quietly. He seemed to say something to her, but Al couldn't hear them. He looked over at Rose, who was sitting between Cleo and Roxy. She waved at him feverishly.

"Excited?" she asked him.

He nodded at her. He didn't need to ask her, he could see it in her face. He sighed.

_Merlin's beard, what am I going to do?_

Two more names were called, and before Al knew it, he heard his name called. "Potter, Albus."

Al stood up. His name seemed to garner a far different reaction from the crowd, one of curiosity and suspense. Where would Harry Potter's second son be sorted? With each step Al took, he thought he was closer to vomiting up slugs than he was to figuring out what exactly he wanted. Oh, why did this have to be so difficult?

Al paused in front of the stool, which boasted the old, shabby hat. It was at that moment that it finally hit him—he really was thinking _way _too much about this! What did it matter what house he was in? It wasn't as if his parents would disown him or that he would be doomed to never spend time with his new friends again. That's not how it had to be!

"_Trust me, I'm the Sorting Hat"_

Al smiled to himself. Of course he could trust the Sorting Hat, it had been doing this for over one thousand years and it was rarely ever wrong.

But nonetheless, Al realized that no matter what house he ended up, he would be just fine. He sat onto the stool contently as he placed the hat onto his head.

"_Hmm, it looks like we have another Potter here with us. Oh, and you appear to have Weasley blood running through your veins as well. Well now, seem to be a very well-rounded lad, now don't you? Even in the last few hours, you have exhibited traits strongly affiliated with all of our different houses. You were able to help that McDonald boy get his watch back with clever problem solving rather than magic. This is an admirable trait, one that would make you suited for Ravenclaw. You are very brave, young Potter. There's no doubt about that. You showed great chivalry toward Ms. Tanith Nott and Mr. Malfoy, defending their honor. That's very courageous indeed. _

"_But then again, you have shown exceptional loyalty not only to your new friends, but to your family as well. You are fair and exhibit sound judgment, excellent for Hufflepuff. Very excellent for Hufflepuff, indeed. And then of course, there's Slytherin. You show many more of their qualities than you may initially realize, young Potter. A true Slytherin is cunning, ambitious, and has a strong desire to succeed. All of these things apply to you as well. _

Albus shifted in his stool. He could hear the students whispering. Perhaps they were wondering what was taking so long. Al tried to tune it out.

"_Ignore them for a moment, Albus. Their opinions do not matter. They do not share the same complexity you do. Now, where was I? Oh yes, now I remember. Now, Albus, do you want to know what the most important quality you have is? You have the courage to do what is right, rather than what is easy."_

"_What house is associated with that quality?" asked Albus inwardly. _

"_Slytherin, but it is a quality that is vital in all wizards. In that regard, the house does not matter. Now, do you see my plight? Do you now understand why I couldn't be done with you the very moment I touched your head? You are exceptional, Albus. You can be in any house you desire."_

Al cringed. _"That's what I'm afraid of, Sorting Hat. What if I make the wrong choice?"_

"_Did I not just tell you, Mr. Potter, that there was no wrong choice for you? Did I also not tell you that you will do what is right, rather than what is easy Now, do you have a preference? Would you like to go where your relatives have gone in the past, into Gryffindor? Or, would you like to pave your own path? You are more than capable of doing so, despite your father's fame."_

Albus blinked. Everything was both easier and more difficult, knowing that he could go anywhere. He really did have a choice, he realized. And no matter where he went, he would never truly be wrong. He looked up at the ratty hat.

"_Place me where you think I belong. I can be happy anywhere."_

"_Are you sure, Mr. Potter?"_

Albus nodded his head feverishly. This sparked the other students' interest. What house would Albus Potter be sorted into?

"_All right then, it better be," said the Sorting Hat. _ "Slytherin!"


End file.
